


Brewing Partners

by Yngvildr the Voracious (Yngvildr_the_Voracious)



Series: The Prefects of Power [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Ableist Language, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Chronic Illness, F/M, First Dates, First Kiss, Hogwarts Houses, Hogwarts Prefects' Bathroom, Obliviation, Potions, season 4 compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-18 12:10:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21660610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yngvildr_the_Voracious/pseuds/Yngvildr%20the%20Voracious
Summary: huge thanks to Sparrow akasympathy_for_hordakfor the beta reading.
Relationships: Entrapta/Hordak (She-Ra)
Series: The Prefects of Power [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561555
Comments: 14
Kudos: 117





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> huge thanks to Sparrow aka [sympathy_for_hordak](https://archiveofourown.org/users/citrus_quill/pseuds/sympathy_for_hordak) for the beta reading.

“No, Frosta can’t be here! She’s not even a Prefect and it’s past curfew!” a shrill voice rang. 

“Don’t look at me like that, Glimmer, I can’t make her go away, you know that.” her blue-haired companion drawled. 

“What if we just accepted Frosta’s presence and went on with the meeting? She did get the Special Award for Services to the School,” Perfuma, the overly positive blonde Hufflepuff interrupted, her soft and airy voice fanning the hot flames of Glimmer’s irritation and earning an eye roll from Mermista. Mermista loved eye rolls more than dyeing her hair blue.

“Yes!” Frosta, the smallest student in the room, exclaimed. “And Bow is not a Prefect either and he’s here!” she pointed out. 

“Oh, uh…” Bow, an athletic boy, with an inexplicably bare midriff, of an age with Glimmer and Mermista started to stammer. 

“Bow is the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and a Sixth Year, while you have yet to pass your OWLs and  _ it’s past curfew! _ ” Glimmer gritted her teeth, her jaw hurting as much as her head did. 

They did have an important meeting to get to, and were wasting time arguing about it when they could simply find a way to get Frosta back into the Gryffindor dorms later. After all, Mermista and Glimmer were Prefects, just like Adora, and they had already brought Bow and planned on the perfect excuse: escort him back after a Quidditch session. 

“We’ll say we were testing Frosta for reserve Beater,” Bow assured them. 

“I don’t have a broom,” Frosta said, frowning.

“The school has brooms,” Adora supplied. She was currently a Fifth Year Gryffindor Prefect and the Gryffindor Team’s star Seeker. 

“If you can call them that,” her captain Bow mumbled, his eyebrows rising high in condescension for those bunches of twigs and branches that were vaguely enchanted. 

“Look, if you called us to disparage my broom renovation work, I’m going to have to go back to the Ravenclaw Common Room. I have a lot of sleep to do so we can all serenely get to work tomorrow.” 

The unused classroom they were using was now entirely focused on Entrapta Dryl, the Seventh year Ravenclaw prefect with her bushy lavender hair in high pigtails, face and fingers stained with ink, and her uniform askew. 

Mermista groaned in frustration. 

“Glimmer. May I?” Adora asked, respectfully catching Glimmer's eye. 

“You may.” Glimmer sighed. 

Adora straightened her ever impeccable (despite being secondhand) robe, her newly minted Prefect badge glimmering red on the black uniform, and cleared her throat. 

“As everyone here knows, Seventh Year Slytherin House member Hordak Deuterion was promoted to Head Boy...”

“ _ WHAT?  _ Really?” Frosta exclaimed in surprise. 

“You would have known if you were old enough to be a Prefect and had attended the Prefects meeting in the Hogwarts Express.” Glimmer hissed, her annoyance getting the better of her.

“Bow knew!” Frosta exclaimed.

“Because I told him right away!” Glimmer countered between gritted teeth as she looked about to tear her purple hair out.

“Oh and no one ever tell anything to itty bitty Fros…”

“STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP!” Perfuma screamed, her patience clearly running thin. 

“Thank you, Perfuma.” Adora said evenly. “In the meeting, he made it clear that he would be advantaging Slytherin and making our overall lives difficult because he had power and his father Mr Horde Primeon is on the administrative board this year.”

“Oh, yes, I heard of it. Scorpia’s mother voted in his favour after that ball he held in his mansion.” Entrapta mentioned, shuddering at the memory of having to don a formal robe and drink still beverages to help her mother's potions ingredients business.

“I knew it.” Glimmer growled, shaking her fist. Adora put a hand on her shoulder and Glimmer took a deep breath and released her fist into a more relaxed position. 

“We need a plan of defense. We cannot afford to have Slytherin win the House Cup by cheating,” Adora concluded. 

“Again,” Mermista added. “Which is the only reason why we called an inter house meeting you know, because we can, like, be stronger together or something.”

“Exactly!” Glimmer interjected. “We can make sure no student gets in trouble, especially impressionable First Years but also warn older students, do our best and take extra points-earning tasks and chores...”

“Oh, oh, oh!” Entrapta interrupted. “Does that mean some extra homework could count towards it? I really think I got my Head Girl badge because of last year’s extra assignment, you know, that and helping Adora with her own homework, we all know Professor Shadoweaver favours her a little and her vote probably bumped my chances…”

The entire assembly once again turned to Entrapta, this time not in the usual “is she being weird” way, which the young woman later realised should have been her first clue. 

“You’re…” Bow started, his eyes glistening. 

“Why didn’t you say anything in the train when Hordak started throwing his weight around?” Glimmer asked, her tone low and dangerous. 

“I was doing my NEWTs revisions planning.” Entrapta told them, as if it should have been obvious. 

“In September?” Mermista asked, her eyes round as saucers.

“It’s never too late, and I had to start accounting for additional Head Student duties and see how much of my tutoring classes I’d have to give up, especially as Adora has made tremendous strides in Charms last year… you never did tell me how your OWLs went…”

“I’m… Passing my OWLs this year, actually.” Adora chuckled mirthlessly. “I need all the help I can get.”

“Oh good! Because that’s exactly what I thought I’d be doing, cut the tutoring everything but Fifth and Seventh Year students taking Charms, Arithmancy or a Potions OWL, no NEWTs. It’s too taxing to see so many people while still looking forward to your own exams at the end of the year. But if you’re taking an Arithmancy or Enchantment or Potions national Ministry regulated exam,  _ except the Potions NEWT _ , I’m still here for you!”

“When do you find the time to do all this?” Adora asked, incredulous. “Wait, no, I don’t want to know, my head is spinning.”

“Lots of organisation and I…” Entrapta’s gaze went far away and her facial features relaxed, going slack. 

Her fellow students kept watching her as the revelation finally hit the Ravenclaw student, their elder. 

“I guess I can’t let Hordak Deuterion bully his way into a House Cup win. I… I have that responsibility.” she whispered. “Alright, I’ll try. Because it does count towards Head Student duty and I can squeeze some time if I drop Arithmancy NEWTs tutoring too…”

“How did you even tutor every discipline for every student across the whole school?” Frosta asked, sounding amazed.

“Oh, that’s easy. I memorised the entire curriculum for every discipline at school in Second Year because I couldn’t decide which electives to take. Also I also had to make sure I could sit the associated NEWTs as it could dictate my career paths.” Entrapta deadpanned. “I just couldn’t let that happen.”

“My Third Year electives could dictate the NEWTs I can sit?” Frosta asked, suddenly horrified.

“You can still adjust it, it’s not even the second week of September!” Glimmer flew to Frosta’s rescue. “You can even take the first few weeks as a sort of trial run on them.”

“Oh. Good.” Frosta sighed in relief. 

“Alright.” Perfuma said. “Now we have a plan, can we go to bed? I’m always very tired after the Welcoming Feast and I want to be in the best mood for Herbology tomorrow. I think I’ve got a double class with you, Adora, actually.” she added for the latter’s benefit. 

Adora seemed nonplussed at the idea of early morning Herbology, Entrapta noted. Behind her hair, her Automatic Note Taking Quill added that exact observation. 

“You’re right. We should all go to bed.” Glimmer said. “Adora and Bow, you escort Frosta. Mermista and I will separate and if caught will say we were planning a surprise for the Sixth Years and didn’t watch the clock.”

“Alright.” her fellow prefects acquiesced. 

“The others, you’re free to go.” Glimmer added. “I trust you to bring everyone you know is trustworthy up to speed.”

Perfuma and Entrapta looked at each other. Ironic that the Head Girl would take orders from a student a year below her, but she was tired,and needed a full four hours of sleep to be productive.She had a big day tomorrow, making the minimum sleeping time mandatory. 

“See you tomorrow!” the two students said before leaving, Perfuma down the stairs towards the Great Hall, the dungeons and then, the brightly lit corridor where she’d tickle a pear in a painting to access her dorm and Entrapta up, to the west tower, whistling. 

She touched the phoenix brass knocker and the beak of the metal beast opened to ask: 

“ _ I always run but never walk, I sometimes sing but cannot talk, No head on which a hat to place, You always look me in the face. What am I? _ ”

“A clock.” a deep voice rang behind her before Entrapta could answer herself. 

“Oh, good call! I should really be faster, but those are so simple riddles that I often find myself overcomplicating the matter.” she chuckled as she stepped inside the Common Room. 

When she had been a First Year, fresh off the train, she had dreaded the Common Room. High ceilinged, open, wide and airy, it felt like she was about to fall into the mountains anytime, but she had gotten over it by purposefully going to her dorm without looking at any of the wide windows. 

“Miss Entrapta Dryl.” the voice said. 

So he was still here. 

“Yes, you wanted something?” she asked, turning around, ignoring the emptiness between each side of the Ravenclaw Tower and the mountains and focusing on the floor beneath her feet.

The person who had answered the question was a student. He was tall, lean with slicked-back dark hair and equally dark eyes. His skin was pale and his cheeks had a new sunken quality she didn’t remember him having last year. The change must have been drastic for her to notice, given her lack of memory for human faces. However, the taller student bore a Head Student badge on his flawlessly tailored wizard robe and had a green and silver scarf rolled around his neck. 

“You are the new Head Girl.” Hordak stated.

“You are the new Head Boy.” Entrapta asserted. 

They stared at each other. 

“If you wanna talk, we might as well sit down.”

“I…”

“Answered the riddle. You can enter. Ravenclaw said she wanted the brightest and the best, never actually said she’d limit herself to students of her own house.” Entrapta delicately answered the question that he hadn't asked. 

Hordak Deuterion entered the Common Room. No longer backlit by the torches in the corridor, he was less imposing. He was more softly lit by the dying embers of the hearth in the room. From this perspective, he was clearly much thinner, the glow emphasizing his cheeks' new hollowness. Entrapta wondered if one last growth spurt did this or if he had a tough experience during his summer away from school. In her hair, her hidden Notetaking Quill drew a couple of question marks. 

“You did not pay attention this morning during the Prefects meeting and did not present yourself as Head Girl. I had to ask Deputy Headmistress Castaspella who was my partner, as I didn’t believe I would have been picked without someone to… assist me.” he explained, standing before her, as she settled onto a couch. 

“As you knew your father did not have sot much power over an institution that has been training magic users for millennia that he could get you into this position without a counterpower?” Entrapta asked. 

Hordak’s eyes narrowed in a way that was meant to convey danger, Entrapta assumed. She found it interesting. Maybe Adora, Glimmer and Bow had a point about him. And Slytherin had cheated their way into winning the House Cup three years in a row. 

“I would like to establish ground rules for our cooperation,” he did his best not to growl.

“It’s almost midnight.” Entrapta said. “Let me see.” 

She withdrew her Notetaking Quill and notebook from her extensive mane and turned the pages until she reached her schedule. She was confident when she spoke. “Provided the class schedule doesn’t change,you didn’t drop the subject, and Professor Shadoweaver hasn't changed her NEWTs class schedule, we both have a double Potions class tomorrow after lunch. After that I marked my free time for Potions tutoring. Since I have let go students who don’t prepare Ministry Regulated exams this year to make time for my new duties, we could mark this off as Head Student time.”

“Ah… You abandoned your tutor position?” Hordak said, sounding surprised. “I… I was about to advise you to do so.”

“Advise me to do so?” 

“Yes. Between your new duties as Head Student and your own NEWTs to prepare, it wouldn’t do to take on extra work.”

“But I like the extra work.” Entrapta countered. “I just don’t want to suffer both the social exhaustion that comes with seeing other people and the apprehension that NEWTs bring. It’s for my health. Or did you think I didn’t listen to your little speech in the train?” she added as an afterthought. 

She hadn’t listened to any of his prattling in the train. 

“How did Glimmer Brightmoon respond to my  _ little speech _ in the train?” Hordak asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Something Glimmery about it being unfair and cheating…”

“She threatened to hex me until my own father wouldn’t recognise me.”

“Oh. Maybe she did, I don’t know, I wasn’t listening.”

“They are organising against me, then. Using you. Typical.”

“Well, they are concerned about the cheating. I mean, if I were to cheat on my school work, I wouldn’t deserve the good grade that comes with it, then, the same paradigm applies here.”

“We will not cheat.” Hordak hissed. “Slytherin will win, fair and square. We will be such exemplary models of studiousness that no one will ever think again about a Slytherin student lying, cheating or otherwise not adhering to rules or fairplay customs! I will show everyone in this forsaken school our worth! No one will ever call us bad seeds again!” he added, his voice taking a more assured tone with every word, his fist clenched and shaking in the air, as if he was about to duel with a Muggle. 

It amazed Entrapta. “Oh. Could it be…” she whispered, her brain firing up with hypotheses. 

She was in no way an expert in social studies or internal relationships, but something in the Muggle Studies curriculum came to mind and applied well to the current interaction. Funny that Muggles’ wisdom could apply to magic users. 

As she lost herself in her train of thought, Hordak straightened, seemingly calmer now that he had let the real feelings behind his plan out. 

“Well. I see you’ve chosen your side.” Hordak said coldly.

He turned away, then looked down at her over his shoulder. “Remember this, when they have no more use of you. Remember this when the House Cup goes to  _ Gryffindor _ this year, just like during the beginning of our time at Hogwarts.Also, good luck finding the Head Girl’s room.” he added with a bitter smirk before exiting the room.

Entrapta watched Hordark leave the Ravenclaw Common Room with interest. He had something to prove. Every being who did not feel adequate, either from lack of magical powers or a perceived flaw, ended up trying to prove they were not flawed or incapable. This was it. She found it cute, in a way. 

“What was that about the Head Girl’s room?” she thought aloud. 

She shrugged. She would make do. She always did, she thought as she climbed the stairs to what used to be her dorm last year. 

  
Indeed, her trunk was not here, but a bed started to appear. Hogwarts always provided for its students. She would ask Deputy Headmistress Castaspella. As her Head of House, she would also be able to help.


	2. Chapter 2

Hordak couldn’t believe that woman’s gall. How dare she? 

_ How dare she what? _

Slowing his gait in the staircase that would lead him to his own Head Student quarters, the Slytherin student thought about the encounter. It had been six years since he first met Entrapta Dryl on Platform 9 ¾ that first day of school. He could still remember her untamed mousy mane floating around as she examined every part of the train, her mother having a hard time containing her daughter’s excitement. 

Eleven years old Hordak had liked the train too. So when he crossed her path again around midday when going to buy some more sweets and snacks from the lady with the cart, that’s what he had said. 

_ It’s a nice train. _

She had turned to him, watched him with eyes large as saucers and then fled, holding three bags of Bertie Botts’ Every-Flavour Jelly Bean and Shrinking cupcakes (was it Vanilla-Strawberry flavoured?).

He had been sorted to Slytherin right before the hat had been deposited on her hair, not managing to swallow her whole head like with every other First Year donning the multi millennial hat of a man described as large, tall and muscular, the coiff instead resting on the brownish mass of curls and twists. 

Hordak had taken his seat and, like his fellow students, waited, watching her patiently. It had taken ten minutes in total for Entrapta Dryl to be sorted in Ravenclaw. A Hatstall, he had read in his copy of  _ Hogwarts: A History _ . 

His own sorting, with the hat clearly shouting his house before then Deputy Director Micah Mystacor had even released his fingers from the old hat, was called a True Sorting, according to his book. 

He took pride in his sorting. He took pride in his House, in his friends there. Then it started. The House Cup was the crux of every social interaction in Hogwarts, the highest honour one could win at school and a tremendous amount of work and yet… Headmistress Brightmoon always seemed to allow Gryffindor leniency. To indulge her own House, that of her daughter, Glimmer, and her perfect friends the very last few points needed for them to prevail over Slytherin mostly, but even once four years ago against  _ Hufflepuff _ , a House that had its uses, but saw so little glory. 

And they said Slytherin was cheating? Slytherin was playing foul? Hordak had pushed his Quidditch team to new heights, appointing Catarina Cheshire as his star Seeker and Scorpia Warin as his best Beater, with him keeping the goals, they had been invincible, often overshadowing Gryffindor’s own star, Adora Shera. He had also coordinated with his Head of House, Professor Shadoweaver to mount an extensive school wide tutoring program by volunteer Slytherin students. However, his plan had been thwarted when Entrapta Dryl suddenly seemed to take over every tutoring session. The points for these thus went to Ravenclaw for all of her extensive work on this front. He had to undermine her to put good, full O’s  _ Slytherin  _ students in her place to earn points for their house. 

But she had relinquished most of the duties. 

“ _ Exemplar _ .” Hordak grunted at the piece of wall that hid his new room.

And not because of the points but because of her health. Of all things! 

He angrily started to undress, starting with this scarf that kept him so hot back in the Ravenclaw Common Room. Frustrated, he didn’t even store it properly, instead forming a ball and throwing it at the other side of the room, with the push of a little wandless magic for good measure. 

Looking for his pajamas, he noticed the mirror next to his nightstand and frowned. Carefully avoiding his own gaze or-  _ Merlin forbid _ \- his own body, he put his cloak over it and took a mental note to ask if it could be disposed of by the House Elves next he met with Professor Shadoweaver. 

With a deep sigh, he went to bed. He had to announce the news to Cheshire and Warin. He didn’t need this setback in his life. 

—

“What do you mean you can’t play this year?” Cheshire hissed, not unlike a cat. The rumour mill at the school still hadn’t gotten rid of the ridiculous notion that she was either a werecat, an Animagus, or both.

“I mean I can’t play this year.” Hordak repeated, trying to put more food in his plate despite his stomach revolting at the very notion of receiving sustenance. “Thus, Cheshire, you will now be the captain, as I trust your game sense and strategy. Warin. Please do not get in her way or antagonise her. Lonnie McCall was already reserve Keeper and I will lend her my broom for the year as it has superior stability until she acquires a suitable one.”

“But, Deuterion,” Warin interrupted, the big and muscular student’s soft grey eyes looking sad. “you love flying! And Quidditch! And you also need to be here for us to have a chance at the Quidditch Cup! It gives so many points in the House Cup!” she added. “You want to win the House Cup again! Did it for us for three years in a row, even if everyone thinks we’re cheating, but it’s alright, they’re just jealous!” 

“I’m afraid I will be busy with other projects. I chose to brew a difficult potion as an extra assignment. It should double my contribution to the House Cup.” Hordak explained. 

“Aren’t you hot with that scarf?” Cheshire asked with a smirk. “September’s a bit early for it, innit?” she added in a lower, more dangerous tone as Professor Shadoweaver, armed with the year’s schedules, got closer and closer to them. 

Five years of Catarina Cheshire and her insecurities had not made her coping mechanisms easier to bear. Hordak sat up, the English breakfast he had gathered in his plate as he talked untouched, and quickly and quietly retrieved his schedule from his Head of House who raised an eyebrow at him before he got away from the Great Hall and into the rest of the castle. Just like every NEWT students this year with an entire morning free, he was going to bury himself in the library and study. 

His progress was slow, but at least it was steady and he did not appear breathless into the place. He sat down and opened his bag, looking for the heavy book in it with apprehension. 

His father, Horde Primeon had an extensive library curated during his numerous journeys across the world. Hordak and his siblings were banned from it. Then the fundraising ball happened. 

Hordak put his hand onto the weary cover and started to study the leather bound assembly of notes, essays and articles and found his target in just under an hour. Now he was very lucky his first class of the year was to be Potions. He would make up for his inability to perform on the Quidditch field. And he would find a way to cure himself in the process. 


	3. Chapter 3

“Students. You have entered the final stretch of the race.” Professor Shadoweaver said, wearing her dark red robes and her black wide brimmed hat. “The Potion NEWT is famed all over the world for being the harshest exam in any magical discipline...”

Entrapta yawned audibly. She was vaguely aware of Spinnerella beside her turning to her, looking scandalised. Still hidden in her hair, her Notetaking Quill added a  _ yawned loudly again, must sleep more or muffle the sound _ in between a doodle of a scarf and a pair of wings. 

“Now, last year, I assigned you brewing partners. This year, this close to the NEWTs, I want you to chose the partner you think will not just help you in my class, but will also help you go above and beyond, after school is over and done for you next summer. Think about your future. About the kind of Potion makers, the kind of witches, wizards, and magic users you want to be!”

Her rousing speech had other students more excited than scared, which was unusual. So close to the end of their time at school, Shadoweaver’s tactics shifted from manipulation and deception to liberation and exercising of personal freedoms.

Entrapta observed everyone flit about, talk about their projects, the potions and concepts they had trouble with, finding common avenues for experimentation or the opportunity for peer exchange and tutoring. It was fascinating. 

Even more fascinating was Hordak still in his seat, his Potion supplies out as well as an old crumbling book. It was curious. Entrapta was very curious. It was only natural for her to leave her place and peer from behind his shoulder, silently. 

“Do you need something, Entrapta?” Hordak asked through gritted teeth. 

_ Still mad? Find out details on what is troubling him. Brewing partner needed. Probable candidate. _ The quill added a couple of interrogation marks around Hordak’s name for good measure. 

”What are you working on?” Entrapta asked. 

“I am making a list of ingredients for my extra potions assignment for the year.” Hordak answered in a monotone. 

“Oh, interesting use of Cockatrice egg yolks!” Entrapta couldn’t help exclaim upon reading over his shoulder.

“Can you just not.” Hordak turned around and ground out. 

“Now, has everyone found a brewing partner for the year?” Professor Shadoweaver asked very loudly. 

Everyone voiced their assent in some manner or the other except for Entrapta and Hordak. 

“I don’t need a partner.” the latter said. Entrapta silently observed him.

“I’m afraid you cannot attend my class if you do not have a brewing partner this year, Mr Deuterion.” the professor drawled. 

Hordak’s face fell. Entrapta could easily understand why. No Potions class, no Potions NEWTs. 

“It’s alright!” Entrapta said. “I read over Hordak’s shoulder, his project looks extremely interesting. I’m definitely going to help him.”

She heard, or rather the entire class heard Hordak Deuterion’s throat make this high pitched noise that characterised one’s 33.3% successful attempt to bite back a comment that would be considered either embarrassing or worthy of point removal. Not that Professor Shadoweaver had a habit of removing points to her own house for such reasons. Entrapta was sure that Shadoweaver had taken points from Catarina Cheshire for the purpose of emotional manipulation, based on their rage-filled one-on-one remedial Runes sessions the past couple of years. 

Maybe that was it. Maybe Hordak Deuterion was pressured by their Potion professor, his Head of House! 

No, that wasn’t it, she thought, the quill nestled in her hair messily crossing out the thought in the little notebook. Hordak looked disappointed, though. 

“I hope your little Gryffindor  _ friends _ are happy.” he mumbled, dejectedly, as he reluctantly shared the list with her and started to put his cauldron, scales and stirring rod onto their table, carefully organised. 

Entrapta’s brows knitted together. Oh, yes. That. She wanted to sigh, but it was no use. She didn’t understand people and people definitely didn’t understand her. At least she could go and get the available ingredients he had listed from the class’ reserves. 


	4. Chapter 4

“So, ground rules. You do not approach me, you do not bother me unless you’re absolutely certain I’m going to blow up a cauldron, which will never happen. You see a Slytherin student misbehaving, you bring them to me and I’ll do the same with you and students belonging in other houses. I… See what you did there in proposing to be my partner, but it would be entirely preferable if you…”

Entrapta suddenly smiled, the gesture so stilted and jarring for a second that it threw Hordak off his speech. It was really, a half polite rant, if he was truly honest, but while he valued honesty, he was too proud to examine his actions at the moment.

“Oh, I know you don’t want company, but I couldn’t help it. I have so many ideas based on the ingredients list you gave me. I did leave you space to make the necessary unorthodox ingredients handling practice, I mean separating the whites from yolks of Cockatrice eggs, that was really fascinating to see you do, but I had a great idea to make the potion more potent, an experimental skinning technique for the Boomslang Skin. If we get the teacher’s authorisation to order it directly from a shop I know in Albania, I think we could make the potion about one hundred ninety-two percent more effective…”

They were alone in the Potions classroom, which Professor Shadoweaver had left, instructing Hordak to lock it and return the key to her office later, but the Slytherin Head Boy still looked around, grimacing before he stepped towards Entrapta, closing the gap between them and trying to make himself clear. “Whatever you, who have consistently scored A’s when I have maintained an Optimal grade for years, have to say about the successfulness of a potion you know nothing about is of no consequence and entirely unwelcome. Go back to your experimental broom varnishes.”

Entrapta’s gaze went far away and the smile was gone from her face. Hordak, confused at the lack of anger, took a step back. 

“Alright. Fine. Nobody really wants my help anyway.” she said, turning her back on him, her hair seemingly coming to life and strands of it starting to cover her eyes as she bent her head over her backpack and she filled it with her Potion supplies and materials. 

Her dejected reply made Hordak further scowl. This wasn’t good Head Student behaviour, he thought.

And… nobody really wants my help? He thought. It was extremely strange that someone who spent the better part of their time at school tutoring students would say such a thing. 

In fact it seemed damn right impossible. How could anyone not appreciate the sharing of knowledge?

Hordak stopped this train of thought as Entrapta, silently put her chair back into place and started to walk towards the classroom’s exit. 

“Entrapta!” he blurted out. 

His brain was telling him to stop, not to do this. She was working with his slandering enemies, she was obnoxious and invasive, she was…

_She helped me and I thanked her poorly._

“Do… Do you wish to know more about the Head Students' quarters?” he asked. 

Entrapta looked confused, but her fringe suddenly lifted itself from her eyes. They were shining with a quality Hordak had trouble interpreting, but his stomach still formed knots, making him fear the worst. 

“I do,” she answered. 

“Let me show you the way, then.” Hordak said, trying to sound both detached and assured. “They are near the Headmistress’ office. It has historically been seen as a way to give importance to the Head Students as well as a privilege and further reward for their hard work.”

“Honestly, while I would definitely welcome the space, I might still sleep in my Common Room. It took me so long to get used to it, I think I shouldn’t risk losing the ability to share space with other people. It makes me more approachable, see. And people haven’t been mocking me or my hair since Fourth year as a result!” Entrapta said, looking triumphant. 

Again with the illogical assertions. Though, he would indeed understand why young students lacking foresight would be thinking of Entrapta’s hair as worthy of mockery and jibe rather than the excellent hiding place for her automatic note taking device (or simply as hair). Oh, how he had envied the woman’s ability to enchant any and everything when he had briefly entertained the idea of taking up her reportedly legendary Enchantments remedial sessions. She did receive an Optimal OWL in the discipline and a School commendation as well as license to assist the Flight Coach with school brooms rehabilitation. They weren’t a work of art, after all, some of them were literally thousands of years old, but Hordak had seen Second Years pass tryouts on them and not fall to their deaths and do maneuvers worthy of an entry price point broom. 

“Well, should you need it, or forget, there is an access from your own Common Room. Your Head of House might know more about it than I do.” Hordak supplied, recentering his thoughts. Why was he so distracted?

Entrapta didn’t speak any more after that, in fact, she seemed to entirely ignore him as they climbed the stairs. At this hour, most students were in class or, for older NEWT level students, in the library or their Common Room, mostly studying, especially as the first assignments had dropped today.

Sooner than Hordak expected, they arrived near the gargoyle guarding the Headmistress’ office. 

“Here, to the left.” he supplied, more curtly than he intended. “It should open with your badge.”

The wall was just a slab of stone until Entrapta unpinned her Head Student badge and approached the wall. A door immediately appeared. Hordak wanted to sigh as he watched the Ravenclaw student gush at the enchanted mechanism, but he maintained his composure. 

“I will go to my own…”

Just at that moment, his carefully constructed neutral face fell as the pain, a faithful companion now, seized his entire body and made him gasp loudly, bringing him to his knees. The searing hot sensation took hold of all his nerves, all the fibers in his being, making him feel like he was both swimming in ice cold water and being burned at the stake. At some point during that first Spring Break, he remembered asking Horde Primeon if this was how the Cruciatus Curse felt. He remembered seeing only a smirk. If only, my child.

Hordak, lost in the hurt, hardly felt Entrapta drag him into her chambers and, when her arms failed her, levitate him onto what looked like a large bed. 

He tried to focus on individual details, it helped before during previous fits. He saw the notebook and the quill fly from her hair. It was strange to see it floating outside of her mane. She was dictated aloud until the page ripped and started folding onto itself. 

“No!” he managed a strangled scream. “Don’t…”

“Hordak, you need a healer’s assistance, the Mediwizard is in a much better position than me to…”

“They… They’ll send me to…” he stammered, feeling his jaw grow slack and the pain recede. 

The sterile air, the smell of refined Bubotuber pus, a common ingredient in healing potions. He was tired and terrified at the same time. 

Why did he even come back to school? His thoughts went to his father. His head was hurting. Entrapta's hand was on his wrist.

Feeling as though he was suddenly burning, he feared another fit coming, like this was just a momentary reprieve. Instead, he realised he was too tired to move at all.

"The potion… It's for you." Entrapta said, her eyes meeting his for the very first time since they met. 

Her eyes were pale, wide. They were the prettiest eyes he'd ever seen. Her fingers had lifted the hem of his sleeve over his wrist, revealing the discoloration. His condition. 

"Boomslang Skin. Cockatrice Egg Yolks. Finely sliced Mandragore roots. Very potent ingredients that help regenerate and counteract powerful petrification effects." She half whispered, half recited. 

Hordak, mortified, finally managed to remove his wrist from under Entrapta's hand. Laboriously, he sat up. Out of breath, his lungs feeling caged in stone, he was still as soon as he was in a seating position. 

"Hordak. Is it safe for you to attend school? If this happened while you're on stairs, or - Flamel! - you're playing Quidditch!"

"I have resigned from the team." Hordak breathlessly countered. 

Her eyes, her brows did this thing. She pitied him, saw his weakness, and he hated it. "If I get you all the ingredients? I'm not the best at brewing, as you pointed out, but you know very well my mother has a very successful potions ingredients business… Will you consider my theories?"

"And transform my healing p… Potion into a bomb? Your experiments are all welcome in your…" Hordak hesitated, pausing to breathe. "... In your excellent theory crafting in essays, but they are just that, essays. Everytime you put them into action, you make explosions, Entrapta. I can't… I can't fail again." He grunted, feeling the frustration of the last five months finally leak out of his shoulders and head. 

"What if the potion, which you already have a potent variant of, is not potent enough to treat you? Don't you want to try? Figure out if it could work? Maybe we could work on two potions at the same time with two sets of hands…" Entrapta started to ramble.

"The potion requires precise stirring and pouring at different stages of its brewing. We need two sets of arms for one, because the addition of the crushed Mountain Dragon scales…"

"Might cause the Mandrake roots to be unstable. One potionmaker pouring, one potion maker stirring." Entrapta completed. “And you thought you could do it alone?”

Despite his moment of weakness, despite her usually average grades in Potion, Hordak took stock of his new brewing partner's ability to immediately understand complex problems. Maybe she wasn't just in Potions because it was required to qualify for broom engineering apprenticeships… 

"I… You didn't have to help me," he drawled, managing to put the soles of his shoes on the floor as he sat on the edge of the bed.

She was so small that now, as he sat, he was level with her and able to look more closely at those eyes that had drawn him in.

"I… We are brewing partners now. Maybe we should test your theories. We're all supposed to learn for our NEWTs and… And my failure shouldn't impact your own prospects…"

"What failure?" Entrapta asked, her head tilted to the side like an inquisitive owl. 

Hordak stared at her.

"My fits. They impair me," he repeated, trying to gauge his interlocutor’s reason for interest in question.

"I know it's not fun to be paralysed and in pain, but isn't it exciting that you're learning a new complicated potion and improving it?” she asked. "Imperfections, they just make you want to figure them out, how to work around them, or with them! Imperfections are beautiful that way because they create problems to solve and solutions to implement!" she rambled, the windows letting a ray of sun in to fall squarely on her delicate nose and thin lips, her pale eyes sparkling. 

"I… never thought of it that way." Hordak breathed out, considering his peer’s point of view.

"Well now you can! You're welcome." she smiled at him, her expression still sickeningly… Caring. 

"And…" Hordak cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders as best as he could. "People who refuse your help or mock you are utter fools!” he added when he was confident he would not keel over. He did feel the need to put his hand on Entrapta’s shoulder for support. As she was so much smaller than he, he couldn’t help but think it may look unnecessary. 

Entrapta's smile widened at his words, revealing her teeth, illuminating her face. 

"Oh, thank you! I like being your friend, too!" she said, sounding out of breath and watching him intensely. Hordak's stomach felt queasy and light at the same time.

Oh, he thought. _Oh._

Hordak rose to his feet, wobbly. He left the Head Girl's room without a word, readjusting his scarf, still in a daze.


	5. Chapter 5

Working with Hordak was absolutely great. Entrapta Dryl, in seven years of attending Hogwarts, had never had so much fun! 

The potion was complex and apparently had not been brewed in centuries. Hordak already had plenty of notes on the use of potions to cure petrification. This one was much more ancient, and had disappeared with the era of mass produced potions and the invention of the Self-Stirring Cauldron. Self-Stirring Cauldrons could not produce potions potent enough to ward off petrification effects caused by powerful magic users or magical creatures. With the Basilisk going extinct around the year 2785, no one had worried about it. 

Entrapta really wanted to ask what was causing Hordak’s paralysing seizures. She had only seen his wrist. She assumed most of the condition was either confined to parts of his body not usually visible through his uniform, or mostly internal, and the recent outbreak she had seen on his wrist was a new development. She was dying to know more, despite healing not being her favourite subject. Entrapta was much more at ease with brooms - less people and bedside manners involved. Hordak struck her as a person who didn’t want his private life to be public. She had stumbled onto his sickness entirely by chance, and he had behaved differently since then. Entrapta had decided to help him with the potion, for now. If, and only if, the potion failed, then she would ask more about the mysterious sickness. After all, Hordak was talented at Potions, not just liking the subject and over-studying it. He was bound to have a better grasp at the really intricate parts of it. 

He was better than she had realized! Entrapta had liked potions and everything, but stuff about poisons, antidotes, and other cures was not at all what interested her. Broom making required the best varnishes, so Potions, while anecdotal in the discipline, was a mandatory NEWT to qualify for an apprenticeship at a broom maker. Hogwarts’ curriculum taught nothing about broom varnishes! She had done extensive research by herself, to make sure she would ace the Nimbus, Fright of Flight and Cleansweep entrance exams. Those three companies only hired the best of the best - and then there was Eternia. 

The first time Entrapta rode a Swift Wind broom, she had been amazed and enchanted. Eternia was the company that made Entrapta really  _ want _ to ride brooms, to loop endlessly in the air. She had to work there!

The elusive company had yet to tell her more than “ _ we are not hiring apprentices at this time. Thank you for your interest in Eternia… _ ” at present.

Entrapta tried not to think about it. She would one day open the doors of the elusive and mysterious creators of the unique Swift Wind line. 

The Quidditch match was beautiful. The players raced across the air, passing and losing the Quaffle. At some point, the commenter started to wax poetic about the state of the hair of the Gryffindor Chaser, Mer-something Salins-thing, if Entrapta remembered right. Entrapta marveled at the way the girl had feinted, using a slight hand move to have her broom dive before she would dramatically rise up, face to face with the Slytherin Keeper and effortlessly throw the Quaffle in the goal with a flick of the wrist, looping back to the center of the pitch with a simple movement of her calf and a strong grip on the handle of the broom. 

“Why are you crying?” Hordak asked, sitting beside Entrapta. 

“Brooms are so beautiful.” Entrapta half-cried, half-sighed, still amazed. 

She wondered where the Golden Snitch was. The commenter doing the casting- Shannon? Something like that- was entirely unhelpful, except when he mentioned the name of the Chaser that had just scored. Mermista Salineas. She should have known, she was at that reunion Glimmer called earlier in the year!

“Brooms are tools.” Hordak said, watching Entrapta.

“Potions are tools.” Entrapta countered, watching his eyes widen.

“I… I see what you mean.”

It had been three months since Hordak and Entrapta had become lab partners. They often found themselves studying together and even àgoing for snacks in the kitchen only to study more in empty classrooms, munching on the tiny pumpkin pies and fizzy Butterbeer. 

The Rejuvenating and Conditioning potion, the R&C, as Entrapta had started to call it, was complicated. Some of the ingredients had interactions that were challenging to handle Mostly, it was finding mature Mandrakes of sufficient quality that stalled them. 

Entrapta had written to her mother, but the owl had come back with bad news. With the winter approaching, it was impossible to get any fresh Mandrake roots of an appropriate quality and not already dried, diced or chopped before at least next June, when summer would roll back around and mature Mandrake could be found. However, Mrs Dryl did put an order from an Australian supplier she knew and would have the necessary ingredients in January. 

Hordak had not been pleased. He had excused himself, and Entrapta heard his frustrated scream outside the door. She had only been partially reassured when she heard his footsteps going away. 

In the present and very grey late November day, Hordak was fidgeting next to Entrapta, she suspected from the frustration of not being able to be in the sky with his team. He clearly wanted to block some easily preventable goals that Luna (was that her name?) let in, and Hordak let out relieved grunts when his former teammate stopped others, and when Scorpia sent a particularly good Bludger to assist in her teammates' goal scoring efforts.

For a second, Entrapta imagined not being able to fly on a broom ever again. 

Yeah, she would feel terrible. 

Suddenly, the Seekers seemed to come to life and Entrapta turned her binoculars to Adora. She had an Eternia engineered broom, a Swift Wind with a unique serial number of  _ 868796 _ . It perfectly matched Adora’s Arithmantic birth formula too. The broom didn’t just respond to her gestures - oh no - it responded to  _ Adora’s thoughts. _ Her very thoughts! 

Catra’s Fight of Flight Mk 2 was not as suited to her, but Catra made it up in pure skill and exceptional reflexes. Adora was a brute at heart who wouldn’t have been relegated to second place if she had applied for the Beater position. 

Entrapta felt Hordak tense and his hand grab her arm, but it wasn’t important, what was important was Adora Shera, on her Swift Wind, weaving through the pitch with Catarina Cheshire hot on her tail. 

Then, a Bludger hit Adora and sent her careening. The broom immediately went into stabilisation mode, killing most of the momentum, leaving the Quidditch player unharmed and maybe not even affected by inner ear related turmoil. The time Scorpia Warin bought was enough for Catra’s hands to close around the Golden Snitch. 

“Oh, Slytherin won!” Entrapta said. “That was so wonderful, see how Adora’s broom compensated for the momentum?... Hordak?”

Hordak’s head was motionless on his shoulders, and he wouldn’t let Entrapta’s arm go. 

Entrapta gave him her best smile. “It’s ok. I’m going to discreetly levitate you a bit if you can’t move. Is that ok?”

Hordak’s breathing seemed to be present and calmer as soon as he heard her solution, but they needed a system if it happened again. Previously, when it did, it had always been in a place where they had privacy. Here, the anonymity of the crowd would have to suffice, Entrapta hoped. She touched her wand in her sleeve, wordlessly cast a levitation spell and put her hand on Hordak’s. 

Entrapta was very lucky to enjoy unlimited access to one of the lesser known, most recent routes going from her usual spot in Quidditch pitch’s stands to the pitch broom closet, where no one would be at the end of a Quidditch game. 

“Alright, we’ll wait it out here,” Entrapta explained out loud, hoping his condition hadn’t gotten worse enough that the pain would make it hard for Hordak to hear. “That way no one will ask questions when we’re back at the castle.” she exclaimed. 

After she carefully laid Hordak on a bench and sat beside him, crossed legged on a box and making sure she could still hold his hand, she decided to take advantage of the time it would take to wait the seizure out to review her notes for the day. Unsurprisingly, there were a lot about the Swift Wind Broom. She knew Hordak’s seizure ended when the grip on her arm loosened. Briefly, she removed her hand from his to stash her quill and parchment in her hair. She patted Hordak's hand as he got back control over his body. 

“I can’t wait anymore,” he grunted. 

“We can try now if you’d like. It could act as a proof of concept.” she supplied, feeling a tingling in her fingers. “Until January.”

Hordak’s eyebrows knitted together as he gazed at his hand strangely, as if he hated the appendage. Entrapta realised she was still holding his hand. 

Oh, Entrapta thought. 

_ Oh. _

She let go of him and turned her gaze away. Of course she bothered him, he was a very private person, he disliked being touched and, honestly, she disliked it too. It was something that she was happy to understand, for once, in a friendship - and yet she had done it anyway. She had to be more careful. 

“Thank you, Entrapta. For your help.” Hordak said. “And I’m sorry I grabbed you, I… didn’t know what to do.”

“It’s alright. I’m glad I could help.” she said, incapable of maintaining eye contact and letting her gaze fall somewhere between his nose and lips.

A noise outside the room interrupted them. Hordak and Entrapta exchanged a glance and sat up. Entrapta was glad to see Hordak had recovered about eighty-seven percent of his mobility. They rose to stand in the door frame, side to side, looking imposing despite the almost comical size difference. 

Outside the door was Frosta Baldu, the new, aggressive Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team as. Frosta looked embarrassed and red in the face. 

Oh, right, she had been using one of the best brooms Entrapta had rehabilitated. 

“I’m… I’m just putting the broom back.” Frosta stuttered, showing the broom like one would a teacher’s note. 

“Oh, please do! Don’t hesitate to send me an owl about it later with your feedback, the schools brooms don’t usually see proper Quidditch action, usually, I could use your input to improve my work” Entrapta added before letting the girl room to pass. 

Later, much later, as she read a treatise on Twenty-First Century dueling practices, Entrapta would think of the red on Hordak’s cheeks as Frosta left to join her defeated team. Entrapta put the book back and idly caressed the part of her hand that had been in contact with his skin. She continued to contemplate that moment as she got into bed and fell asleep. 

She dreamt of people mocking her hair. Hordak was there and would bat a mean Bludger to their faces. All in all, she thought it was a good dream.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uwu

“Hey. Deuterion? Can I talk to you for a minute?” Catra Cheshire asked Hordak. 

Abandoning his current correspondence, he sat up slowly and followed his former Quidditch teammate. 

The young woman led him outside of the muted ambiance of the Slytherin Common Room and into the rest of the castle. They walked silently for a long time, until she opened the door of an unused classroom and closed it behind them. Cheshire swiftly took a seat on one of the tables, her long black hair whipping the air from the speed of her movements. 

Crossing his arms over his chest, Hordak stared at her, waiting for her to speak her mind.

“There’s some gossip among the students, the Gryffindors in particular. That you’re dating...” Cheshire's nails dug into the table.

Hordak’s eyebrows knitted together. “They are wrong. I am not dating anyo -”

“Entrapta Dryl?”

Hordak closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The broom closet, of course it had been interpreted as such. “It’s that little Gryffindor girl," he said. "The one who just made their Quidditch team… She probably misinterpreted our meeting there.”

“Are you dating Entrapta Dryl, and snogging her in brooms storage, Deuterion?”

“No, we’re working on my Potions project.” Hordak said through his gritted teeth. 

“She’s also Head Girl, who’s to say she’s not trying to prevent you to win the points needed to win the House cup? Is she sabotaging your potion? Is she why you can’t play?” Cheshire demanded, looking down at Hordak from her perch.

“No, far from it," Hordak insisted. "Come on, Entrapta is not a seductress! She has been an invaluable part of my project as soon as she owled her mother about it. Her mother who supported my father’s campaign financially, may I remind you. She’s his top donor. I can assure you, Entrapta might be sad to see Ravenclaw lose, but in her eyes, our reputation is...”

“Our bloody reputation is less important than winning! You saw how close the match was! We need you up there! And now you’re on a first-name basis with the enemy!”

“I can’t rejoin the team! You’ll have to make do and properly thank your teammates for your efforts. Two weeks ago, I found Warin being comforted by Perfuma Plumeria, of all people, because you had berated her for not sending enough Bludgers towards the Gryffindor goals.”

“I was right! What, you want me to hold her hand and thank her for trying? She should be able to handle feedback and get better! You would have seen it had you been-”

“Oh, don’t worry, I see everything," Hordak interrupted. "Scorpia Warin is the best Beater our team has had in my seven years at Hogwarts and you have not managed her properly. That’s why she sought comfort outside our house. Slytherins stick together, Cheshire. We have each other’s backs. Even yours.” Hordak spat at her, turning around and leaving. 

A tightening in his chest threatened to send him over the edge so he walked towards the closest hiding place he knew of, as quickly as he dared. Cheshire would not dare follow him to the Prefects’ bathroom.

He counted the doors as he slowed from a walk to a step by step advance that felt as slow to a crawl to him. The password was uttered with his jaw clenched. The door did not move. 

Hordak double checked. It was the fourth door past the statue of Boris The Bewildered. 

He croaked the password again. And again and again until he fell against the door, unconscious.

He woke up lying on a tile floor, surrounded by the smell of bath salts and lavender soap. Two pale eyes were staring into his soul from above him. His body had regained its flexibility, he knew because when his first instinct to stand back up as fast as possible was almost followed by his limbs. However pale-eyed, wild-maned Entrapta Dryl put her hand to his chest to stop his movement.

She was only wearing a shift that clung to her own body. 

Feeling stiff, but not in as much pain as before, he relented and looked around him.

"You're why the door wouldn't open," he realized aloud.

"Yes," Entrapta said with a smile. "I take my baths in here on Sundays at this hour. Usually everyone else sleeps or studies. I don't usually get interrupted by loud noises of cute boys fainting on the door." 

_ I'm not cute _ , Hordak thought, then,  _ She finds me cute. _

Hordak cleared his throat. "I was hiding from Catarina Cheshire. I'm better now, I can leave you to your abluti-aaargh!"

Attempting to bend his leg had conjured a short burst of pain. 

Entrapta nodded, expression neutral. "Is there something you do to ease the symptoms? Anything?"

He was hesitant. First, because she was already close. Too close. Second, because of the implications of answering truthfully. Helping him brew a potion was one thing, soaking in the same bath was another. 

Maybe - just his legs to get himself going faster? It had helped in the past and this fit had seemed short.The seizures had also become daily occurrences rather than weekly inconveniences...

"Steam and heat help." Hordak reluctantly confessed. “I can dip my legs in the bath and be on my way."

"Oh! Hiding  _ and _ seeking means to relieve the pain. That's very clever, yes, it makes sense. Let me draw a clean bath for you, I was almost finished anyway. Then we can go to the kitchens and ask for soup!"

His heart was hammering in his chest as she, still wearing that thin shift baring her left shoulder and only covering her to mid thigh, went to work on the taps. 

“You strike me as a woodsy smell type of guy, let’s go with this…” she mumbled, under her breath, seemingly thinking Hordak would not hear her from this distance. He tried to commit it to his own memory as well, but the visual and olfactory stimuli did not make it easy. 

She used taps Hordak had used himself quite often, but also one he had never thought to use, as it reeked of camphor and made him feel like he was stewing in a potion. Well, at least he wouldn’t be actually bathing, right.

“Tadaaa!” Entrapta exclaimed, coming to help him. He carefully batted her hands away and instead focused on lifting his wizard robe. He blessed his self consciousness at having the longer and more covering Muggle style trousers instead of only underwear these days. Hordak rolled up his sleeves, bracing himself to ignore any reaction the state of his legs would elicit. 

It was all he could see in this moment, the way the black garment revealed mottled grey skin, the green tinge of it, how it spread unevenly along his legs. He removed his shoes and used his arms to slide himself towards the bath, trying to act as if this was some sort of business meeting. 

He tried to concentrate on anything. Entrapta was silent. Her note taking device, on the floor next to her clothes, was not. 

“Can you - not take notes right now?” he asked, hissing as he took his thigh with both hands and dipped his leg into the water. It wasn’t scalding hot, nor lukewarm, the woman had made it an acceptable temperature. Good.

“Oh. I’m sorry, I have a hard time figuring out what is private or not, sometimes. Is it only for now or in the foreseeable future?” Entrapta asked. 

She was very businesslike, too, in the way she waved her fingers towards the automatic quill. It fell into the closing notebook. Her light clothing hugged her shape in a way Hordak had never seen, a way he had sometimes idly entertained in fantasies, before. 

“I… We’ll see,” he answered and closed his eyes. 

At first, images of Entrapta in her shift (shorter in his mind’s eye than in reality) replayed beneath his eyelids; he kept picturing her doing wandless magic casually like the powerful witch she was. As the warmth came back to his limbs, the smell of the bath she drew for him dispelled those images and helped him doze, first supporting himself with his arms and then shamelessly lying down on the edge of the bath. 

It had been a long time since he had felt like melting in a bath and he wasn’t even entirely soaking in it. How boneless it would render him! 

“I should ask you which taps you used on the bath…” he groaned. 

“Oh, just the woodsy smells, cedar, sandalwood, amble, a touch of camphor and the rest of my mother’s Muscle Relaxant Solution, since I only usually use half a bottle. I thought it might help,” Entrapta added. Hordak could hear her smile. 

He opened his eyes. 

He was lying down, his legs soaking in the potion enhanced bath. Entrapta was similarly prone on her belly, her head a level with his and resting on her arms. He wanted to thank her, but it felt too intimate, too nice. He couldn’t help the smile, though. 

“I should repay you for this.”

“Oh, it’s no big deal, mum sends them to me on a weekly basis. It’s not even medical grade, which is why I’m surprised it’s working so well. I wonder how it would react in a potion.”

“Hey, we said no exploding experiment on my potion!” Hordak said, trying to be stern but finding it impossible to repress his smile, rendering his point moot. 

It made her smile in return. 

Her lips were a shade of dusty pink at the center and a dark lavender at the top. He felt heat radiating from his soaking feet and up to his whole body, concentrating around the cheeks area. Her eyes were firmly looking at his. It made his heart swell to realise that she was able to sustain is gaze for so long.

He felt like he could look at her forever. 

“Hordak?” she asked, her usually assertive and energetic voice quivering ever so slightly.

“Hmm?” was the only vocalisation he managed to utter, mouth closed, to signal that she had attention. 

“I’m feeling… I would like to…” she started, stammering, her lips stretched around her small teeth and her eyes wide as if she needed to see beyond him. 

She closed her mouth, worrying her lip with her teeth. It was as if there was never a question to begin with when they found themselves with their noses touching, their lips brushing, their eyelids closing, their breaths mingling in combined moans that conveyed the attraction, the need for this first kiss. 

Her lips were soft and he was overly conscious of how his were chapped, but the way she caressed him with her tongue in a tentative, shy gesture made him forget it quite quickly. Their kiss deepened to the point where their positions became uncomfortable. 

Dizzy, out of breath, Hordak mourned the loss of her warm lips and tongue and started to tremble, sending waves of panic in his brain. No, it wasn’t a seizure. In fact, he hadn’t felt so good since before that fateful Spring holiday. In this moment, he wouldn’t have changed it for the world. If he had not been sick, he wouldn’t have partnered with her. 

“If you’re feeling better, I think we should get going.” Entrapta shyly mumbled, again with the worrying of her teeth. “Are you still up for a snack?”

Hordak smiled. “Yes, very much so.”


	7. Chapter 7

Entrapta had never been happier in her life. She wrote to her mother to let her know of the new development and that she would need two bottles of Muscle Relaxing Solution. Maybe if Hordak used it as a massage oil, it could ease his pain without having to be in a bath? Maybe if used daily or weekly, it would help his day to day life until, eventually, the potion they were brewing could be used to remove the condition entirely. 

  


She had problems to solve and someone who looked at her softly. She was the only one he watched like this. She was the one whose hand he briefly squeezed every time they met between classes - and sometimes even at the library or in secluded classrooms. There, she would dare get close and put her arms around him and squeeze too - and he would not get scared or stiff, and neither would she. In fact, every time they touched in this manner, his stern and angular features would soften, and he would smile at her. It of course led to one question: did these activities and reactions mean they were actually dating?

  


Entrapta was scared to know the answer. 

  


She knew the implications of the kiss they shared in the Prefects’ Bathroom. The gossip was clear, ever since she first heard of the existence of the place and how it would be common for Prefects to bring partners to share some alone time as the door would not allow unwanted intrusions. 

  


However, attraction was not the same as dating. Dating was a commitment to sharing an intimate sphere. Entrapta thought that while Hordak had made great strides in drawing Entrapta in, she had not done a great job at including Hordak in her own vital space. Her data was clear: without commitment, there could not be a romantic relationship. 

  


“So what do you think?”

  


“The rumour is true? You’re dating Hordak Deuterion.” Adora Shera, dumbfounded, had misconstrued Entrapta entirely. 

  


“I just told you that I’m not,” Entrapta corrected. 

  


“You’re telling us you kissed in the Prefects’ bathroom...” Bow started, eliciting a sound from Glimmer that sounded like a vocalisation of one’s disgust. 

  


“Once.” Entrapta pointed out. 

  


“You regularly hold hands when you cross paths in the corridors or to and from classes you have in common.” Glimmer groaned. 

  


“Just for a few seconds. We have work to do, NEWTs are in seven months…”

  


“And in private, you hug… Like, are you sure your lips haven’t touched again because, I don’t know if you’re aware, but in general, lips touching are usually considered as kisses regardless of the involvement of tongues,” Mermista added, sounding blasé and inspecting her nails. 

  


“We have engaged in embraces involving arms and cheeks rubbing on chests or the top of my head, I mean he’s so tall,” Entrapta thought aloud. 

  


“I can’t believe the guy who terrorised us during our entire First Year is  _ dating _ ,” Adora repeated for the third time, gobsmacked. 

  


“It’s not like he doesn’t have any prospects!” Entrapta pointed out, feeling piqued. “Oh. Getting on the defensive! Maybe we are dating? Oh, I don’t know.”

  


“Look, everyone, I think we’re taking the problem upside down!” Perfuma interrupted before seating herself on the chair in front of Entrapta. 

  


“Actually we aren’t taking the problem upside down!” Glimmer countered. “The problem is that Slytherin is cheating to win the cup, they are already really far ahead with that last win at the Quidditch match. Entrapta told us she would take care of it and now she is… Well, whether they are dating or not is their problem, but there’s clearly a conflict of interest, here.”

  


“I agree,” Mermista said. 

  


“Wait, I’m still a Ravenclaw...”

  


“I see your point, but Hordak wasn’t on the field, their new Keeper was greener than grass and Scorpia is a really good Beater.” 

  


“Catra might be following Hordak’s orders most of the time, but she doesn’t need him to be a nuisance.”

  


“And I’m still a Ravenclaw working towards winning the House Cup for my own house.” Entrapta added. “But thank you for your positive input,” she added, beaming at Bow and Adora, who looked sheepish. 

  


Glimmer, in between her two friends, looked crestfallen, her usually glowy features dimmed. “Alright, if you think so. Meeting adjourned,” she said before grabbing her bag and leaving. 

  


“Now you can tell us everything!” Perfuma clapped her hands. “So, tell us more, how does he make you feel?”

  


“Aaand, I’m out! I’m not ready to think of Hordak Deuterion, The Scourge, that way. I’m going to have a chat with Glimmer,” Adora left too, suddenly in a hurry. 

  


“Yeah, same. Bye, losers,” Mermista added, following in the footsteps of her housemates. 

  


Bow looked at Entrapta, at Perfuma, and then at Frosta’s sleeping form. 

  


He cleared his throat. “Look, I still have my reservations with Deuterion…” he started. “But… Perfuma’s question is extremely relevant! How does he make  _ you  _ feel, and how does he respond to your actions?”

  


Entrapta looked at the two other students. Perfuma was around her age and Bow was a year younger, she guessed she could whisper her thoughts into their ears, in case the youngest among them was faking sleep. 

  


“Oh,” Perfuma said.

  


“Oh, Merlin,” Bow exclaimed in turn when Entrapta told him.

  


“So you want to date him, right? If he makes you want all of this and if he makes you happy, it means you want to or are you really on the fence?” Perfuma further questioned. “Because that alone should dictate if you’re dating.”

  


“Exactly. If both of you are ready to commit and committed to each other sentimentally enough to hug and occasionally kiss, it means you’re attracted. If you’re committed to defend each other and support each other…”

  


“In sickness and in health!” Perfuma added, her eyes shining like stars.

  


“Let’s not go overboard with Muggle references.”

  


“Oh, it’s alright, my mother’s a Squib, I grew up with those things because she didn’t think I’d be a witch at first,” Entrapta told them.

  


“I thought your mum had a potions ingredients shop?”

  


“Yes.”

  


“You need magic in your veins for your potions to have an effect.”

  


“Yes you do… But you don’t need to to prepare ingredients! Though it can help when you gather them yourself, that’s why she has wizards and witches for hire to help her with most of it. Magic is only necessary when brewing. When you do so, the magic in your body channels through your being and into the potion as you go. She’s a bit jealous, of course, but she earns a good living because she has great business sense and extensive theoretical knowledge.”

  


“That’s why your essays are so good! Your mother is the perfect academic and raised you that way.” Bow gushed. 

  


“You could say that!” Entrapta proudly acquiesced. 

  


“Alright, let’s close this digression here. Entrapta, the question should not be _are you dating Hordak_ , but more along the lines of _ do you want to date Hordak _ ?” 

  


Entrapta eyes wandered far away from her two companions. She thought about Hordak’s smiles, his cleverness, how he would lead her to paths that led to discovery and vice versa. How she felt they shared a bond that only deepened that day in the Prefects’ bathroom. 

  


“Yes. I would very much like it if we dated. I… I want to date Hordak.” she said, still gazing into the distance, with a smile plastered on her face.

  


“Which is great because then you’re not leading him on. Or using him just to…” Bow looked behind him at a still very much asleep Frosta. Still, he raised his eyebrows suggestively while grimacing and Perfuma nodded vigorously.

  


“Oh yes, using him for… For  _ that _ could bring positive things to you but it might hurt Hordak. And yes, he is our enemy in the context of the House Cup, but he’s still a person. These things are incredibly private and intimate Entrapta, I hope that you have learned that. If not before, then today.”

  


“I figured that, yes, two people without clothes experimenting with each other’s genitalia for pleasure would indeed be private and by extension weaponised by malevolent elements of society, yes.”

  


Bow turned green and Perfuma’s smiling face became very still. 

  


“Yes, you have it right, then. Good. Now, how about you escort Frosta to the Gryffindor dorms, Bow? She looks extremely tired. Meanwhile, Entrapta and I can have a girl talk about some very,  _ very _ private things…”

  


Bow, red in the face, sat up and said, “Oh yes, yes of course, it’s best you have that girl talk, I’m…”

  


He stopped and looked at Entrapta in the eye. “I trust you, Entrapta. Be safe and be happy. You deserve it, and if you are right, Hordak deserves it too.”

  


Entrapta smiled at Bow. “I’m glad to be your friend too,” she said before she went and hugged him. 

  


Bow hugged back, patted Entrapta’s shoulder twice and turned towards Frosta to wake her up. 

  


“Now, how about we go to the Prefects’ Bathroom ourselves? I doubt you would want to be overheard about this…”

  
  


Entrapta took notes of the finer, emotional points of sexual education. Perfuma had been unimpressed by Entrapta’s mechanical knowledge, treating it as a good thing  _ for you and for my brain that doesn’t need to picture Hordak Deuterion naked _ . Which Entrapta could understand. She wanted to share this with him, but she didn’t exactly  _ want _ to see him naked for the sake of it, which her fellow student and Prefect described as  _ demi-sexual _ with great detail and tact. Who knew Perfuma Plumeria to be such a font of knowledge! 

  


“Oh and lastly, there are milestones and traditionally romantic things to do in December that you must not miss, especially if you are to show commitment or if he is to show his own willingness to do so.”

  


“Taking notes!”

  


“First, the last Hogsmeade Weekend before Winter is always important, especially if it can act as your first formal date. Your studying session can feel like dates, but dates should be about the couple, not their occupations.”

  


“Good, that’s noted. I suppose I can be the one to invite him if he doesn’t.”

  


“Though I would personally consider it more romantic that he does so, it’s quite sexist and heterocentric to consider it what must be done, it’s down to personal taste. Do you want to make that first step or do you want to wait? I’d wait but we are different people.”

  


“That’s right, indeed. I will ask him because I am committed to making sure we are formally dating.”

  


“It’s a great reason to make the first step!”

  


“So, what’s the second thing?”

  


“This one is tricky because it might involve third parties. You should ask him for his Yule Break plans. Is he going home or staying at the school? Are you?”

  


“Oh! The Mandrakes!” Entrapta exclaimed. “We are supposed to receive the lesser quality mandrakes at the beginning of the school break! It means any Winter plan would be school related… Unless…”

  


Entrapta put both her hands on her mouth. 

  


“Unless?”

  


“Private information on Hordak’s very private life. I’m pretty sure and was told explicitly not to tell anyone.” she whispered through her fingers.

  


She had never been told explicitly, actually. She was just proud to have perceived his unwillingness to show traditional weaknesses, sickness being one of them. 

  


“That is good. If you can think yourself of something that involves this private information and turn it into a positive experience for the both of you, it’s always a good idea!”

  


“Yes. Yes. It will be good. He'll be happy. I'll have been the one who helped him be happy!”

  


“That’s the spirit! Now don’t forget to make sure he makes you happy too in the process, couples are supposed to be two happy people, not just one.”

  


“That was point number one, but I’ll add it at the end of the list too.”

  


“Excellent. Now, do you want suggestions for dates? I’m afraid the kind of things I find romantic might be boring for you…”

  


“Is eating tiny food and reading school books romantic to you?”

  


“Is it for Hordak?”

  


“Not so much the tiny food, but we have read together, we have had long academic conversations together…”

  


“Try to steer the conversation to less academic projects. Start with career plans, but also hobbies. It’s too bad Hordak doesn’t play Quidditch anymore, but brooms might be a good starter too. You know him best, trust your best judgement.”

  


“Broaden conversation topics. Good, good. Anything else?”

  


“We covered the bases and then some more and curfew was three hours ago. We should go to sleep. Take care of ourselves and rest our bodies!”

  


“Oh, sure. I’ll let you know if the situation evolves. Thank you for your help.”

  


“Oh you’re very welcome! I never thought to see you date, always assumed you’d find a soulmate outside of school, it's so beautiful to see you happy, Entrapta!”

  


__

  


Entrapta was ready. She had decided to style her hair in an orderly fashion. Perfuma had not suggested it directly, but she had suggested " _ looking nice" _ and making "a  _ special effort _ " as a good idea for both the asking and the dating. So Entrapta had tamed her hair in two braids that she let fall on each side of her head past her shoulder blades. As an afterthought, she also transfigured into existence a tiniest purple flower that she hid in one of the plaits. Finding it extremely cute, she added another one. In the end, she added a total of twenty flowers in her hair. Considering Perfuma’s love of plants, she wondered if she should show her. 

  


No, better Hordak saw it first. 

  


She had risen extremely early to use the exit of her quarters that led to the Headmaster’s office corridor. She had memorised his schedule by heart now, so she wasn’t surprised to see Hordak similarly ready to take on his day.  And to see his jaw grow slack and his eyes go as wide as saucers. 

  


“Hello.” Entrapta said. 

  


“You’re… Have you… Is it rude if I ask if you’ve done something to your hair or is it the moment where I have to ignore it gracefully?”

  


Entrapta laughed. She wasn’t sure if she was really amused or nervous or both. 

  


“Oh, I know the answer to that one. It depends on the person. People who do it to feel good about themselves don’t want the comment. People who do it to impress a potential love interest want it known by said love interest. According to my observations, it’s often the latter. In my case it also is. I wanted to draw your attention through an uncharacteristic step up in my self-care routine, and also ask you a question related to our status as mutual love interests,” she told him, very very fast. 

  


Hordak’s mouth closed suddenly and his face went very carefully neutral before he straightened. “I suppose it can’t be helped. I will answer truthfully and honestly.”

  


Entrapta’s eyebrows knitted together. The data she had did not mention this behaviour as positive. She would have to wing it. 

  


“We are often together. Studying, but also sharing physical intimacy. While it’s not at the level of the events that unfolded in the Prefects’ bathroom the other day, I found myself wanting to keep the situation going for a little while in the form that is often referred to as  _ dating _ or  _ going steady _ in some places. I simply need to convey my feelings and verify that it is mutual. Is it? Mutual, I mean?”

  


Hordak’s pale cheeks as well as his ears turned a shade of red that Entrapta previously thought impossible without the consumption of Pepper Up Potion. 

  


“I…” Hordak started to breathe heavily and she started to worry that he was about to have a fit. She dared not close the gap between them before he called for her. “I’m- Can I- I ans- answer that question later? I need-” he stuttered, turning around and entering his own quarters again. 

  


Entrapta watched him go, more questions forming in her head, feeling inexplicably sad and confused. 


	8. Chapter 8

Hordak closed the door behind him. His cheeks felt like he was on fire, and his heart was pounding in his chest in a way that didn't quite guarantee it wouldn't spring out of his ribcage and jump at Entrapta to hug and kiss her.

In fact, that's exactly what he had wanted to do for two weeks, ever since that encounter in the Prefects' bathroom.

The thing was, he wasn't sure if he hadn't half-dreamed it. When he convinced himself he hadn't, Entrapta's behavior had changed but he had brushed it off. 

Of course, she only wanted to be his friend. Of course, it was impossible that she was attracted to him the way he was. He was…

Wait, had she put flowers in her hair?

Hordak turned around to open his door again, but Entrapta was not there anymore. 

No matter, it was a Monday, they would see each other at potions. This - whatever this was - could wait. 

A small streak of color caught his eye in the grey stone corridor. Small little purple flowers. 

He had to find her. Good thing he had the morning off to study.  _ To study _ . He snorted. As if he could do that when Entrapta needed an answer he was thousands of years too late to give. 

He saw a pair of students from Ravenclaw when checking the library. The light-haired one was Natassa? Neidolla? He wasn't sure, but he approached her and asked in a whisper, "Hey, have you seen Entrapta Dryl?"

The young woman glared at him.

Hordak returned the glare until she turned back to her homework, scowling. 

Never mind, he would look elsewhere. 

After a quick run of her favourite nooks and even waiting an hour at their favourite alcove, he took a chance at the Enchantments Wing. 

"Entrapta Dryl?" echoed the round Hufflepuff Sixth Year prefect. Hordak remembered now, she and Netossa had been dating since Fifth Year. "What do you want with her?" Spinerella asked accusingly. 

"She asked a question I couldn't answer this morning." Hordak confessed. 

Spinerella Windchime's guarded expression softened somewhat. "She left for her Muggle Studies class. You just missed her." she answered, her airy voice a bit less harsh than a minute before. 

"Isn't it lunch break?"

"Yes, she's the only one taking Muggle Studies as a NEWT so the teacher and her scheduled it that way to accomodate for her enormous workload…"

Hordak turned around quickly without waiting for the rest of Windchime’s answer. He had to make a huge detour by the kitchens, now.

On second thought, he decided to yell a thank you as he ran downstairs. 

"You're welcome but Muggle Studies is on the Seventh Floor!” Spinerella cried out.

"I'm getting tiny snacks and fizzy drinks!” Hordak shouted back. 

Going past the Great Hall, Hordak abandoned his mad race for the kitchens and instead headed for the Slytherin table and filled a plate before starting to cut all the food himself. Suddenly, a plate of tiny cupcakes appeared next to him as well as a bottle of Butterbeer. For the first time in his life, Hordak genuinely thought these House Elves deserved the whole Sickle they were paid since the Great SPEW Revolution of 2021. He swore he would never complain about it again - and maybe even try to stop his father from removing the now millenia old salary.

It took the better part of Hordak's energy to go back to the Seventh Floor with burning lungs and illegally levitating plates in the corridors. He did it; he managed to knock onan open door where Entrapta, her hair still plaited but less tidy, less orderly than before was putting a book in her bag. 

Never once had Hordak clearly thought anything disorderly could be so attractive. In fact that's why he… 

_ He loved her _ . 

"Oh. Hordak." Entrapta said, not looking at him but rather somewhere between his eyebrows. 

"I brought you lunch," he said. 

The teacher, a tall woman in a Muggle top and pants and long white hair, exited the classroom. As she left, she clapped Hordak on the back, and all the stuff he was levitating lurched in the air. Hordak carefully managed to set the Butterbeer bottle and the plates full of tiny pieces of chicken, potatoes and cupcakes on the table nearest Entrapta.

"Hurt her again, loverboy, and I'm personally going to tear you apart limb from limb without magic." the instructor said casually. 

Hordak coughed hard. His lungs started to show the new, more severe symptoms of an imminent fit, but with Entrapta's help he was sure he would be able to finish this. To provide the answer Entrapta needed. The answer  _ they _ needed. 

Entrapta's gaze was still vaguely aimed at a spot on his forehead, but he didn't blame her. 

"I came with… food. And drinks." He coughed again. "I couldn't have done it without you, you know," he added. 

"Oh really?" She noted, absently.

"I looked for you everywhere as soon as I managed to get an answer for you. And the answer is yes. The feeling is mutual and I would very much like to date. I believe the accepted parameters would be to allow each other into our respective private spheres of influence, exchanging previously private data and maybe, if you are comfortable, an increase of contacts such as hand holding, hugging and… and kissing. Please tell me which parameters you'd like to remove or add to our new relationship."

Entrapta's eyes were shining in a way that made Hordak fear he had made her cry. Had she cried before to have made her other friends so protective? Before, Hordak couldn't have cared less if he had made someone cry, but the thought of Entrapta crying and him being the cause was intolerable. 

Maybe it was a bad ide…

"I'd like for both of us to retain the right to add and remove parameters as the situation evolves. And to kiss you now because what you just said was so perfect my heart rate has increased by approximately thirty percent." Entrapta said, a single tear rolling down her cheek. 

"If it makes you stop crying. Anything you want."

The kiss was sweet like dessert and hot like the main course. Hordak wanted to keep burning his lips against hers until his last day on this Earth.

\--

Entrapta had again plaited her hair but had not adorned it. Remembering the tiny flowers, Hordak drew out his wand and conjured some in various colors he thought would suit her. Purple was certain but some of them were pinker. Cupping them in his hand, he presented them to her and she smiled.

"Those are lovely! Tiny flowers are so cute!" She exclaimed.

The weather was crisp and cold, the castle blanketed in a white mantle of snow. Hordak, hating the cold, didn't look forward to a day of fighting it. 

He had taken an extra long bath the previous evening to make sure this day would be perfect. Just like she deserved. 

He presented his arm to her. Holding hands had proved awkward, their height difference too jarring, but Entrapta holding onto his arm felt right. The best thing. It made braving the snow all worth it.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, smiling from ear to ear. 

"We'd… we'd better get out and get the most out of Hogsmeade," Hordak pointed out. 

"Yes! Yes! Mrs Puddifoot's does tiny chocolate mugs."

"Then off to Mrs Puddifoot's tea shop," Hordak assented. 

The tiny chocolate mugs were sipped with delight while Hordak prefered high tea, the delicacies on the tower still tiny enough for Entrapta to enjoy stealing them. 

She also refreshingly spoke of brooms, asking Hordak to describe the best one he used and what he'd love to see in the coming generation, prompting a long winded conversation on every subject related to it.

Then the topic of family came up, but thankfully, Hordak was able to return the question quickly and dodge the worst of it.

"I only saw your dad from afar. He looked much taller than you and you're very tall!”

"So is your mother and you're quite small. Like your food." He added with a nervous laugh. 

Entrapta laughed in turn. 

"Oh, yes I get it from my father side! His great-grandmother is from a [tribe in](https://www.voanews.com/africa/cameroon-pygmies-protest-destruction-forest-resources) [the jungles of Cameroon](https://youtu.be/4tL2fuNTmoQ) where people are really short. I did some research, turns out they are also a magical tribe which has leave from the Pan-African Order of Sorcerers to live in harmony with their non-magical members as long as they keep outsiders at bay. So my mum's parents are not the only magical beings in my family, I get magic from both sides. Sometimes I wished I had decided to go to Muggle School, they have a great science called genetics. They figured out why people have blue eyes or even some of their illnesses while witches and wizards just wave a wand, drink a potion to wish them away without even trying to understand why it happened in the first place..."

"That's actually an excellent point." Hordak realised. "Maybe we could figure out how and why magic can… Skip a generation." He said, pretty proud of the tact he found at the last minute.

"Yes but also applicable to other fields like healing! Or just combining Muggle savoir-faire and witchcraft to make brooms that only respond to a person's unique set of 36 or so chromosomes! Wouldn't that be great?” she added with an excited laugh. 

The term  _ chrome au zom _ 's went in over his head, but the idea that they were a unique set helped him understand: 

"Well, it's not even like Blood Magic would be a new field, but it could represent a new ethical way to approach it, with the proper permits." He pointed out. 

Entrapta beamed at him.

"I never thought I could find someone who I could talk to so easily." She whispered. 

"I never thought I'd find anyone clever enough to keep up with me." Hordak said in turn, smiling at her as if in confidence.

He reached for the hand that was holding a small empty cup of cocoa and covered it in his. Entrapta drew him in for a brief kiss across the table. 

\--

"I forgot I need food for Imp."

"Imp?"

"My owl, I mean."

"Oh, that's an interesting name."

"Well, he's a Pygmy Owl. It was funny when I was seven years old."

"You are still very funny, love." Entrapta beamed at him.

Hordak stared at her. 

Did she just call him  _ love? Out loud? _

Suddenly, the dizziness spell reappeared, just like the morning she had asked if they could be dating. 

Except there was nowhere to hide, just a street outside the tea parlour and his hands around hers. 

In for a Knut, in for a Galleon. 

"Do you not like it? Should terms of endearment be left out of the scope of this relationship?" Entrapta asked, her eyebrows knitting together again.

"I… not definitively. I just need to… to get used to it. Maybe keep trying during official dating time so I don't feel like I've been struck with a Confundus Charm while we are working on the potion."

"Confusion? Do you want to examine this feeling together? Do you feel confusion when I express my feelings towards you in an explicit manner?" Entrapta asked.

Hordak could hear the note taking the device scratch away. 

"Log to your heart's content but can this specific conversation be left out of your notes?" He asked.

"See, that's why I… I want to keep dating you and use endearments when referring to you as a person. You don't question that I have to take notes to make sure every interaction is logged for further analysis and to learn properly how to interact with others. I was the same in Muggle school and Muggle children are no different than Magical ones. They found me weird. You're the first one to entirely accept all the aspects of it, to be comfortable with it. I'm sure you do find it odd, but you do not stop there. You accept me as I am." Entrapta told him. "And I accept you as you are. Imperfections and all."

There was something left unsaid between them, a doubt. The more Hordak thought about it, the more he was convinced that Entrapta did not doubt more than needed in a scholar setting to test a hypothesis.

Was he an hypothesis? A project to her? Would she braid her hair and drink tiny portions of hot cocoa with a school project? He didn't think so. Logically, her feelings were genuine and she truly wanted to live a romance with him. To hold his hand, kiss him and take care of him while being taken care of. 

"I feel confused when you say such things because it feels too good to be true. I can't help but…"

He would say the word. He had emotions, no matter what father said.

"I can't help but dread the moment you will realise I'm useless to you. The moment my defects will inevitably make me a liability. For you, your career, your social status…"

"I see. Do you trust me?"

"I'm starting to. You make me want to. Trust you. That you… Accept me."

"Well, that sounds reasonable. Hopefully over time you'll manage to reach your full potential in this relationship and trust me. I promise this wasn't recorded, I had the quill tweaked so it can respond to your command."

"Thank you, Entrapta."

"You're welcome. Now, your Imp was in need of treats."

"I'm never going to live this down, am I?"

"Not as long as I live and breathe!"

\--

The warmth of the coffee shop didn't help: Hordak still felt frozen to the bone. Thankfully, Entrapta, with her tiny (and indeed cute) legs, still managed to match him stride for stride. He would have to ask if she enchanted her boots. And how she did it. However, speaking would require he lift his chin from the scarf he ensconced it in. 

Despite noon having come and gone, the weather was still absolutely freezing and Hordak had to consciously remind himself that the Owl Emporium was going to be slightly warmer. 

Or at least devoid of snow. Still, when he shivered upon retrieving his coin purse, Entrapta put an arm around him. 

“Do you want to feed Imp now? We can go to the library afterwards?” 

“Are you sure?” Hordak asked. 

This hardly sounded like date material. 

“We can go to our favourite alcove and… read books!” she exclaimed, her nervous smile making a new appearance. He found it… cute. 

Maybe he’ll find the time to say it out loud to her. 

“Sure, lead the way!”

The walk to the castle happened in a companionable silence Hordak was loath to break. He wanted to keep the comment on her smile being cute for when they finally settled some place warm. 

As it was early afternoon, no one was on their way into the village yet, instead there were more people coming out. Hordak resisted the fear that urged him to remove Entrapta’s arm from where it was snuggly settled in the crook of his elbow when Cheshire, bundled up and staying close to Warin, saw them. Her heterochromatic stare was too calculating for his taste. 

He would deal with her later.

“Are you alright?” Entrapta asked. “Your muscles have all locked up, do you need to go faster? A levitation spell?”

“What? No. Thank you.” he added, confused, still aware of his House mate’s presence, even as she was further walking out of the school and into Hogsmeade. 

“Alright. I trust you.” 

They kept walking the grounds, but at a slower pace. If only because Hordak did find it hard to relax after Catarina Cheshire had thrown them such a strange look.

“Oh, can we stop here a moment, I forgot I had to ask Madame Razz something. You can come if you’d like?”

Hordak nodded and let himself be led to the cabin at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was quite the detour, but he was now feeling desensitised to the snow. 

With a smile, Entrapta drew her wand and with a wave of it, Hordak’s body suddenly warmed up. He laughed. 

“You are the better witch.” he chuckled. 

“Oh, you’re not bad either, my friend.” she quipped back. 

Madame Razz was a diminutive old woman living and giving her lessons from her cabin. She was presently watching the Gryffindor Seeker, the Shera girl, use a broom like a Muggle, getting rid of the snow on the entrance of her home as well as the fence of the beast pen attached to the cabin. 

Hordak further felt his body lock up when he realised there was a Thestral looking at him from the enclosure, its dark beady eye looking straight at his soul. 

“Hordak?”

Hordak tried to smile back but failed. Entrapta followed his gaze and whispered, coming even closer to him. 

“We can go back to the castle, no questions asked.” she said. 

“You needed Madame Razz.” he countered. 

Entrapta gave him a dubious look and slowly removed her arm from his elbow. She went directly to the pen and gave the Thestral a pat on the head before turning towards the Care For Magical Creatures teacher and her help. 

Hordak felt his heart fall all the way into his stomach. Their talk lasted mere minutes, Entrapta was back to his side, her arm back into his, making him turn around until the Thestral was out of view. The rest of the walk happened in silence. The warmth of the Great Hall was a welcome change and an opportunity to shed a couple of layers, as well as the Self-Warming Enchantment. 

“I’m sorry.” Entrapta started. “I didn’t think… You’d be able to see Mara.”

“It’s alright.”

She took his hand and squeezed, all the while, looking at her feet. Hordak couldn’t hold it anymore. 

“You smile when you’re nervous and embarrassed and it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Entrapta looked up, her face illuminated by that cute smile again. The kiss that came with it was airy and short, but it topped every instance of it, so far. 

“Now, I was promised a trip to the library.”

“And you have to feed Imp.”

“Too cold to go to the Owlery.”

Hand in hand, they climbed the stairs. 

The rest of the day was spent in their favourite alcove in the library. Like Entrapta had promised, there were no questions and he was grateful for it. She brought him happiness. He yet had a reliable way to make sure he wouldn’t bring her misery. 

Sneaking a glance at her, he resolved himself to find a solution so Horde Primeon never ever heard of his relationship to Entrapta Dryl. 


End file.
